Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 113837 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 569(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113837 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 569(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
He grabbed my face and dragged me in, slamming his mouth over mine while the screams of children faded into the background. His tongue parted my lips. His thumb grazed my jaw. And just when my lungs felt they might explode, he pulled away.
“You’re fucking me up, baby girl.” He took a slow step back, that familiar sexy smirk of his settling over his mouth. “Come on, Arlo,” he shouted across the playground. “We gotta go.”
I felt like I’d just been through a spin cycle as I watched him walked back to his car.
When I got home, I went straight to the freezer for a Push-Pop, noticing the pale-yellow Post-it note stuck to the fridge.
Drucella. Emergency business meeting. Out of town for a few days. My American Express is on the counter. For food ONLY. Do not use the car. I will check the mileage. -Your father
A few days. It was Tuesday. My birthday was this Friday. Despite being a shitty father, he’d always made an effort on my birthday, like that annual act accounted for his yearly parenting quota. He’d be back. Even he wouldn’t miss my eighteenth birthday. I took my Push-Pop to the living room and sat on the sofa. In the silence of this massive house, the loneliness that constantly remained on the periphery of my life crept over me.
I tried to call Genevieve, but it went to voicemail, and so that ebbing sense of abandonment dug its claws in further. With no car, I couldn’t go see Nora. It was just me. I hated it. Hated this house, this life, my dad...
My phone beeped like Bellamy could sense my turmoil.
Dickhead: I can’t get enough of your lips.
My heart stuttered for a split second, and a smile threatened.
Me: Who knew you were romantic?
I knew that comment would annoy him.
Dickhead: I’m not.
Me: Uh-huh
Dickhead: How is my choking you romantic?
Me: I happen to like being choked.
Dickhead: No shit.
Dickhead: Arlo keeps coming in my room, shouting at me to tell you Hi.
That made me smile.
Me: He’s cute. Did Peehead get a date?
Dickhead: I took him by the 7-11 for a Slushie, and he got her a ring out of a gumball machine.
Dickhead: So much for him being a little player...
Me: Aw! That’s so cute.
Me: You let him be a nice boy
Dickhead: Nice boys get shit on.
Dickhead: Shat on.
Dickhead: WTF ever you say. Girls take shits on them.
I wasn’t sure anymore whether Bellamy was the nice boy or not.
Me: OMG. That’s why he thinks I’m pooping on you?!
Dickhead: No. I’m not a nice boy. I’m an asshole
Me: I know.
Dickhead: And you like it.
I hated that I did because if that didn’t scream daddy issues, I wasn’t sure what did. Bellamy left me caught between wanting something and being terrified of having it.
As I stared at our open message thread, I questioned what the hell I was doing.
We had just over a month left of school, then summer, and then college. And I was falling for a guy who played his cards so close to his chest, I had no idea what I was doing anymore.
Dickhead: This is where you say: Yes, Bellamy. I like it...
Me: I like it.
And that would undoubtedly be my downfall.
34
Bellamy
Arlo put his open palms beneath the automatic hand sanitizer pump once.
Twice.
Three times.
“That’s enough, Arlo,” I said, watching liquid drip from his hands to the hospital floor.
“It smells good.”
I sanitized my hands, then opened the door to mom’s room.
She pushed up in the bed, smiling the second she saw us. “There’s my boys.”
The bruises on her face were an ugly purple, and the gash on her head had been stitched up. Gritting my teeth, I dropped my chin to my chest and stared at the hospital tile.
I hated him. I hated that he’d done this to her for most of her life.
“Momma!” Arlo ran to the bed and crawled up, snuggling in beside her. “I stayed at a castle last night.”
“You did?”
“Uh-huh. Miss Drew had Push-Pops and Cokes in glass bottles. And more bedrooms than the Motel-8.”
“Really?” Mom’s gaze slowly lifted to me with an arch of her brow. “And who is Miss Drew?”
I rubbed a hand over the back of my neck. “This girl I’m…” I wasn’t even sure what was going on between Drew and me anymore. But whatever it was, when I wasn’t around her I missed her. “I’m dating. She came and got him last night while…” You were carted off unconscious to the hospital, and I was hauled off to jail for assaulting Dad.
“Anyway.”
She nodded, tugging at her hospital blanket. “That was sweet of her.”
“I like her,” Arlo said with a curt nod. “She’s nice and smells good.”
“The officers said your charges would be dropped now that I’ve been able to give witness and…” Her jaw tightened. Tears built in her eyes that she quickly swiped away. “I’m sorry.”